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Nintendo Wii Specifications Revealed

by Brandon Dimmel on August, 10 2006 at 08:08AM EDT

As the fall releases of the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) grow closer, the former has revealed the specifications for its newest console.

At first glance, the numbers are not overly impressive, and many gaming insiders are concerned that Nintendo has not pushed itself hard enough to match the competition. The result may be a system so underpowered that it loses the few third-party developers left associated with Nintendo, the single greatest problem in marketing the Gamecube. (Source: theinquirer.net)

The Nintendo Wii's engine, or operating speed, clicks along at a reported 729 MHz, about one-fifth the power of Microsoft's Xbox 360 or the PS3. The Wii's GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, performs at just 243 MHz, less than half of that produced by its counterparts from Microsoft and Sony. In fact, the GPU for the Wii is said to be identical to that of the Gamecube, but Nintendo assures its followers that the graphics perform at 1.5 times the speed of its last console. (Source: whatconsole.co.uk)

Still, the differences are slim between Nintendo's last generation and this one, and considering the above specifications, are gamers really willing to shell out money for a marginally better system?

Of course, as most dedicated gamers know, hardware is hardly the most important part of a system's launch or its maintained success. If the Wii is to satisfy Nintendo's millions of giddy fanboys, it will be because it releases deep and detailed updates of its favourite first-party franchises, including the Mario and Zelda titles. Nintendo's not-so-secret trick may be its motion-sensor remote, which can be used to swing a bat, golf club, or haul in a fishing line.

You can bet the kids will like that, even if it doesn't look so good on-screen.